The Year The Earth Stood Still: Ninurta
Self-Released, 2021
8/10
Listen to The Year The Earth Stood Still: Inertia
The Charlottesville, Virginia rockers Kendall Street Company are taking on a daring project this year by releasing the double LP The Year The Earth Stood Still in 2 installments. This first album, Ninurta, has the outfit exploring ambient and pop friendly ideas in an instrumental and highly creative delivery.
“Ninurta” starts the listen with firm drumming as strategic guitars enter a very unpredictable climate that brings in bouts of brass, and “Our Space Heroine” follows with much attention to atmosphere as sparing keys, spirited guitars and restrained drums flow into the dynamic landscape.
At the midpoint, “The Space Race” does emit some psychedelic tendencies as sound bites from Kennedy add much appeal, while “Pink Flying Saucer” enters dreamy territory with precise interplay between guitar, keys and drums that glides with a cinematic quality.
Arriving near the end, “Doomsday” touches on darker textures amid a jam band feel, and “There is no such thing as free will.” takes that lead a step further with 14+ minutes of hypnotic, cosmic, and world music influences.
The companion disc to The Year The Earth Stood Still, Inertia, arrives in September, and if this portion is any indication, the band’s meshing of jam, Americana and indie-rock will again captivate and entertain like few other instrumental records this year.
Travels well with: Sirr- Space; Heron- Sun Release